Legislators have completed 15 of 40 legislative days. Economic news continues to worsen, as state revenue figures for the month of January showed a decline of 14.3 percent as compared to Jan. 2008. The year-to-date revenue decline is 4.8 percent. Gov. Sonny Perdue’s revenue estimate, which is the foundation for his budget proposals for Amended FY09 and FY10, was based on a revenue decline of 4.6 percent.
House and Senate leaders announced a new schedule last week. They will continue to meet three days a week on Tuesdays through Thursdays until March 25, the 35th legislative day. The session will adjourn until the last week in June, when legislators will return for the final five legislative days. This schedule, which would postpone finishing the state budget process until Congress approves a federal stimulus package, will leave state leaders little time before the new fiscal year begins on July 1.
LEGISLATION
Healthy Children
HB 39 (Rep. Ron Stephens, 164th) would increase the tobacco tax on cigarettes by $1 per pack to generate new revenue. Status: Assigned to House Ways and Means.
HB 229 (Rep. Brooks Coleman, 97th) creates the SHAPE (Student Health and Physical Education) Act. Beginning in 2011-2012, students enrolled in physical education in grades 4 – 12 must have an annual fitness assessment approved by the State Board of Education. Status: Hearing scheduled for Feb.10 in House Education Academic Support Subcommittee.
HB 307 (Rep. Jim Cole, 125th) is Perdue’s bill to broaden an existing provider fee for Medicaid managed care organizations to all commercial HMOs in Georgia and implement new provider fees for hospitals. Revenue from the fees will be used to protect funding for Medicaid and PeachCare programs.
Status: Assigned to House Appropriations.
SB 92 (Sen. Judson Hill, 32nd) would dismantle current Medicaid and PeachCare programs, allowing low-income families to receive premium assistance to purchase private sector health insurance plans. Status: Senate Insurance and Labor.
School Success
HB 278 (Rep. Matthew Ramsey, 72nd) would ease expenditure controls for Quality Basic Education for 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 school years to help local school systems dealing with deep budget cuts. Status: House Education.
HB 193 (Rep. Tom Graves, 12th) would allow the requirement for a 180-day school year to be defined as an hourly equivalent. School districts could lengthen the school day and have a four-day school week. HB 198 (Rep. Mark Williams, 178th) contains the same language. Status: Both were assigned to House Education. HB 198 was withdrawn and reassigned to House Appropriations.
SB 90 (Sen. Eric Johnson, 1st) provides a voucher for parents to enroll a public-school child in another school within the local school system, or in a private school. The school has discretion to accept the child in accordance to policy. Status: Senate Education & Youth.
Stable, Self-Sufficient Families
HB 237 (Rep. Ed Lindsey, 54th) provides financial assistance to families adopting “hard-to-place” children with physical, mental, or emotional disabilities. Status: House Children & Youth.
HB 290 (Rep. Doug McKillip, 115th) provides for an increase to the minimum wage and subsequent cost-of-living increases. Status: House Industrial Relations.
Strong Communities
HB 245 (Rep. Wendell Willard, 49th) allows a juvenile court to suspend the driver’s license of a child below age 17 if charged with a delinquent act. Status: House Judiciary Non-Civil.
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